Covering an equipment module whose wall is provided with a rear vision camera

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a covering ( 18 ) for the equipment module ( 16 ) of a motor vehicle ( 10 ) which is longitudinally projected backward with respect to the transversal vertical rear panel ( 12 ) of the vehicle ( 10 ) and comprises a first wall ( 28 ) generally horizontally extending backward from the rear panel ( 12 ), a second transversal wall ( 30 ) which is arranged above the first wall ( 28 ) and inclined thereto. Said inventive covering is characterised in that it comprises a third intermediate wall ( 38 ) forming a chamfer which is vertically mounted between the first ( 28 ) and second ( 30 ) walls and is inclined thereto.

The invention relates to a motor vehicle equipment module having a wallthat faces downwards and rearwards.

The invention relates more particularly to trim for an equipment moduleof a motor vehicle, the trim being of the type projecting longitudinallyrearwards relative to a rear transverse vertical panel of the vehicle,the trim being of the type having a bottom first wall that extendssubstantially horizontally rearwards from the rear panel, a top secondwall that substantially forms a transverse strip, that is arranged abovethe first wall, and that is inclined relative to the first wall so thatthe top transverse edge of the second wall is situated in front of thebottom transverse edge of the second wall.

Some motor vehicles currently have a rear door or hatchback door thatextends substantially in a vertical transverse plane. That door carries,in particular, the rear license plate of the vehicle and an equipmentmodule arranged above the license plate.

The equipment module or “strip” projects rearwards relative to the rearvertical transverse face of the rear door, and it has exterior trimwhich extends mainly transversely, which is fastened to the rear door,and inside which various accessories are arranged, such as, for example,lighting means for lighting up the license plate, and a handle forunlocking and opening/closing the rear door.

The exterior trim defines an internal volume inside which the variouselements of equipment are arranged, and which is defined by the rearvertical transverse face of the rear door, by a horizontal bottom wall,and by a top second wall.

The bottom wall extends substantially longitudinally rearwards from therear face of the rear door, and it carries, in particular, the handlefor opening the rear door.

The second wall is arranged above the bottom wall, and it facessubstantially rearwards and upwards, i.e. its top transverse edge isarranged longitudinally in front of its bottom transverse edge.

The internal volume of the trim is sometimes defined by a horizontal topwall that extends longitudinally rearwards from the rear face of therear door to the top transverse edge of the second wall.

The bottom wall is provided with a plurality of openings that areassociated respectively with the lighting means for lighting up thelicense plate, or with the handle for opening/closing the rear door.

Among the various accessories of the motor vehicle, there exists a rearview camera that is part of a parking assistance system enabling thedriver to see low obstacles situated behind the vehicle and out of thefield of vision of the driver.

The camera is relatively small, enabling it to be arranged inside thetrim of the equipment module. In addition, the high position of theequipment module increases the effectiveness of detection of obstaclesby the parking assistance system.

The main axis of the camera is directed downwards and rearwards.Unfortunately, as mentioned above, the walls of the trim face eitherdownwards only or upwards and rearwards, and they are not thereforeperpendicular to the optical axis of the camera.

Thus, if the camera is mounted entirely inside the trim, the protectiveglass of the camera is not perpendicular to the optical axis, and it canthen cause optical deformation, which reduces the effectiveness of thecamera.

In order to avoid such optical deformation, it has been proposed toarrange the camera at least partially outside the trim. The camera thenforms a protuberance relative to the trim, which protuberance is thenmore exposed to impacts and spoils the overall appearance of the module.

An object of the invention is to provide trim that enables the camera tobe incorporated within its internal volume without adversely affectingthe effectiveness of said camera.

To this end, the invention provides trim of the above-described type,characterized in that it further comprises at least an intermediatethird wall that forms a bevel and that is inclined relative to the firstwall and relative to the second wall.

According to other characteristics of the invention:

-   -   the third wall faces substantially rearwards and downwards so        that its top transverse edge is arranged behind its bottom        transverse edge;    -   the third wall is provided with an opening which is closed off        by a transparent element and which is arranged on the optical        axis C of a component of the equipment module;    -   the third wall is substantially perpendicular to the optical        axis C of the component;    -   the opening is arranged transversely substantially in the middle        of the third wall;    -   the third wall can be provided with at least one second opening        which is closed off by an element that is permeable to the waves        that can be transmitted and/or received by another component        associated with the equipment module;    -   the second wall and/or the third wall is/are substantially        convex;    -   the section(s) on a vertical plane of the second wall and/or of        the third wall is/are rectilinear; and    -   the trim comprises a fourth wall that extends horizontally        rearwards from the rear vertical face of the rear transverse        vertical panel to the top transverse edge of the second wall.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear onreading the following detailed description which, to make it easier tounderstand, is given with reference to the accompanying figures, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the rear portion of a motorvehicle including an equipment module whose exterior trim is trim of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a detail view on a larger scale of the module shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to the FIG. 2 view, showing a variantembodiment of the equipment module, which has a top fourth wall, and anadditional accessory; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical section view on line 4-4 of a variant embodiment ofthe equipment module for which the trim has a horizontal top fourthwall.

For the description of the invention, and by way of non-limitingexample, let the vertical, longitudinal, and transverse directions be asshown in the reference frame V, L, T indicated in the figures.

Let the forward direction be the longitudinal direction from right toleft with reference to FIG. 1.

In the following description like reference numerals are used todesignate elements that are identical, similar or analogous.

FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle 10 provided with a rear door 12 whichextends substantially in a transverse vertical plane and which is hingedat its top end 12 s about a transverse axis A.

The rear door 12 carries the rear license plate 14 of the vehicle and anequipment module 16 which is arranged above the rear license plate 14.

The equipment module or “strip” 16 is substantially in the shape of atransverse bar that projects rearwards relative to the verticaltransverse plane of the license plate 14.

As can be seen in more detail in FIG. 2, the equipment module 16 isprovided with exterior trim 18 which defines an internal volume insidewhich the various elements of equipment of the equipment module 16-arearranged, and which is provided with means (not shown) for fastening itto the rear transverse vertical face of the rear door 12.

The equipment module 16 is provided with a handle 24 for unlocking andopening/closing the rear door 12, which handle passes through acomplementary opening 26 in the trim 18, and with lighting means forlighting up the rear license plate 14.

The lighting means for lighting up the rear license plate 14 compriselight sources (not shown) that are arranged in the internal volume ofthe trim 18 and lamp elements 20 (of which there are two in thisexample) distributed transversely on either side of a verticallongitudinal midplane P of the trim 18. Each of the lamp elements 20closes off a complementary opening 22 in the trim 18, and they aredesigned so as to direct most of the light flux generated by each of thelight sources towards the rear license plate 14.

The internal volume of the trim 18 is defined by the rear vertical wallof the rear door 12, by a substantially horizontal bottom first wall 28which extends longitudinally rearwards from the rear wall of the reardoor 12, and by a top wall 30 that slopes relative to the bottom wall28, and relative to the rear door 12 so as to face upwards andrearwards.

The bottom wall 28 faces downwards, and it is provided with the openings22, 26 associated with the lamp elements 20 and with the handle 24.

The top wall 30 faces upwards and rearwards, and therefore its toptransverse edge is arranged in front of its bottom transverse edge 30 i.

The equipment module 16 is also provided with a rear view camera 32which is part of a system for giving assistance with parking the vehicle10. The camera 32 makes it possible to detect any low obstacles situatedbehind the vehicle 10, outside the field of vision of the driver. Forthis purpose, the optical axis C of the camera 32 is directed rearwardsand downwards relative to the equipment module 16.

The camera 32 is arranged inside the trim 18, and therefore the trim 18is provided with an opening 34 closed off by a transparent opticalelement 36, such as a protective glass, for example.

In order to prevent the protective glass 36 causing optical deformationsthat are too large, it must extend in a plane that is substantiallyperpendicular to the optical axis C of the camera 32, i.e. it must facerearwards and downwards.

However, neither the bottom wall 28 nor the top wall 30 face rearwardsand downwards simultaneously.

That is why, in the invention, the trim 18 has an intermediate thirdwall 38 which is arranged between the bottom wall 28 and the top wall30, and which faces rearwards and downwards.

The intermediate wall 38 then forms a bevel whose top edge 38 s isconnected to the bottom edge 30 i of the top wall 30, and is arrangedbehind the bottom edge 38 i of the intermediate wall 38, which isconnected to the rear edge 28 a of the bottom wall 28.

Since the opening 34 associated with the camera 32 is provided in theintermediate wall 38, which extends in a plane that is substantiallyperpendicular to the optical axis C of the camera 32, the intermediatewall 38 is inclined relative to the bottom wall 28 at an angle that isdetermined as a function of the angle of inclination defined by theoptical axis C of the camera 32 and by the longitudinal axis.

In addition, since the intermediate wall 38 is designed in a manner suchas to carry the opening 34 associated with the camera 32, the opening 34can be positioned in the intermediate wall 38 in a manner such as tooptimize the effectiveness of the camera 32.

Thus, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the opening 34 isarranged transversely substantially in the middle of the intermediatewall 38, and the camera 32 is then arranged above the handle 24.

However, it can be understood that the invention is not limited to thisembodiment, and that the opening 34, and thus the camera 32 can have anyother transverse position on the intermediate wall 38.

In addition to the opening 34 associated with the camera 32, theintermediate wall 38 is suitable for receiving other elements ofequipment, and optionally for being provided with other openingsassociated with said other elements of equipment.

Thus, as is shown in FIG. 3, the equipment module 16 is provided with afourth element of equipment 40, such as, for example, a radar for givingassistance with parking, an antenna for remotely unlocking the rear door12, or indeed rear reversing lamps or rear fog lamps.

The intermediate wall 38 is then provided with an opening 42 associatedwith said fourth element of equipment 40, which opening is closed off byan element 44 that is permeable to the waves transmitted and/or receivedby the fourth element of equipment 40, i.e. electromagnetic waves orindeed light waves, in particular infrared light waves.

Here, the trim 18 has three walls, so that the top edge of the top wall30 is connected to the rear face of the rear door 12. However, it isunderstood that the equipment module 16 is not limited to thisembodiment, and that the trim 18 can have a top fourth wall 46 thatextends horizontally rearwards from the rear face of the rear door 12 tothe top edge of the top face 30, as shown in FIG. 4.

In another aspect of the invention, the trim 18 is shaped so that thetransverse ends of each wall 28, 30, 38, 46 are connected to the rearface of the rear door 12. For this purpose the top wall 30 and theintermediate wall 38 are curved so that their sections on horizontalplanes are rearwardly convex.

In addition, the section(s) on a vertical plane of the top wall 30and/or of the intermediate wall 38 can be curved so that the top wall 30and/or the intermediate wall 38 is/are rearwardly convex, making itpossible for the equipment module 16 to have a pleasing appearance, orindeed the section(s) on a vertical plane of the top wall 30 and/or ofthe intermediate wall 38 can be rectilinear.

In order to prevent causing a “break” in the shape of the intermediatewall 38, be said section on a vertical plane curved or rectilinear, theprotective glass 36 associated with the camera 32, and the element 44associated with the fourth element of equipment 40 has the same shape asthe intermediate wall 38, i.e. their sections on a vertical plane arerespectively curved or rectilinear, and their sections on horizontalplanes are curved.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to theabove-described embodiment and that the equipment module 16 can beprovided with other elements of equipment in addition to theabove-mentioned elements, arranged on one or the other of the walls ofthe trim 18. Thus, for example, rear lamps, such as brake lamps or foglamps, can be arranged on the top wall 30.

The trim 18 makes it possible to incorporate into the equipment module16 a transmitter camera 32 whose optical axis is directed rearwards anddownwards, while avoiding the need to provide the trim 18 with aprotuberance relative to its walls for accommodating the camera 32.

As a result, the camera 32 is better protected from any impacts, and thegeneral appearance of the equipment module 16 is improved.

1. Trim for an equipment module of a motor vehicle, the trim typeprojecting longitudinally rearwards relative to a rear transversevertical panel of the vehicle, comprising: a bottom first wall thatextends substantially horizontally rearwards from the rear panel; a topsecond wall that substantially forms a transverse strip, that isarranged above the first wall, and that is inclined relative to thefirst wall so that a top transverse edge of the second wall is situatedin front of a bottom transverse edge of the second wall; at least anintermediate third wall that forms a bevel and that is inclined relativeto the first wall and relative to the second wall, wherein theintermediate third wall faces substantially rearwards and downwards sothat its top transverse edge is arranged behind its bottom transverseedge, and wherein the intermediate third wall is provided with anopening which is closed off by a transparent element and which isarranged on an optical axis of a camera of the equipment module.
 2. Thetrim according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate third wall issubstantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera.
 3. Thetrim according to claim 2, wherein the opening is arranged transverselysubstantially in the middle of the intermediate third wall.
 4. The trimaccording to claim 1, wherein the intermediate third wall is providedwith at least a second opening which is closed off by an element that ispermeable to the waves that is at least one of transmitted and receivedby a another component associated with the equipment module.
 5. The trimaccording to claim 1, wherein at least one of the second wall and theintermediate third wall is substantially convex.
 6. The trim accordingto claim 1, wherein at least one section on a vertical plane of at leastone of the second wall and the intermediate third wall is rectilinear.7. The trim according to claim 1, wherein the trim comprises a fourthwall that extends horizontally rearwards from the rear vertical face ofthe rear transverse vertical panel to the top transverse edge of thesecond wall.